Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales
{{Infobox Christian denomination
|image=All Saints Church, Newcastle 2014.jpg
|polity=Presbyterian
|governance=
|leader_title1=Clerk of Presbytery
|leader_name1=Falko Drijfhout
|associations=International Conference of Reformed Churches
|area=England, Wales, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany
|founded_date=1996
|congregations=23
|publications=The Presbyterian Network
|website1={{URL|http://www.epcew.org.uk/}}
}}
{{Religion in England}}
{{Religion in Wales|sidebar=yes}}
The Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales (EPCEW) is a reformed and conservative evangelical Presbyterian denomination based in England and Wales with churches in Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden. Founded in 1996, denominational growth has been steady but the denomination remains small with around 20 congregations.
History
In 1986, a Presbyterian conference was held in a Free Church of Scotland chapel in London, where a vision of a new Presbyterian denomination in England was proposed, which was to be faithful to Scripture and adhere to the Westminster Confession. As a consequence, the Presbyterian Association in England was formed in 1987{{cite book |last1=Bauswein |first1=Jean-Jacques |last2=Vischer |first2=Lukas |date=1999 |title=The Reformed Family Worldwide: A Survey of Reformed Churches, Theological Schools, and International Organizations |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FIYUAQAAIAAJ |publisher=W.B. Eerdmans |isbn=9780802844965 |page=512}} from several small Christian groups and existing congregations with efforts at church planting following. In 1991, an interim Presbytery was formed with congregations in Blackburn, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Durham and Hull to work towards the establishment of the new denomination. This came to fruition in 1996, taking the name, Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales.{{cite web |url=http://www.epcew.org.uk/about.html |title=About Us |website=Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales}}
Several EPCEW ministers{{Cite web|url=https://www.presbyterianseminary.org.uk/faculty|title=Faculty Members|website=Westminster Seminary}} were instrumental in the 2020 founding of Westminster Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Gateshead, England.{{Cite web|url=https://www.presbyterianseminary.org.uk/copy-of-our-story-1|title=Our Story|website=Westminster Seminary}}
Church planting
In 2000, two congregations in Cardiff, Immanuel and Bethel, were accepted into communion.{{cite web|url=http://christianquoter.blogspot.com/2010/06/presbyterianism-in-england-today-part-3.html|title=Presbyterianism in England Today (Part 3)|website=Graham's Uncommon Place|date=20 June 2010}}{{cite web|url=https://heidelblog.net/2012/09/there-are-presbyterians-in-england-and-theyre-having-a-conference/|website= The Heidelblog|title=There Are Presbyterians in England and They're Having a Conference|date=25 September 2012}} The EPCEW has grown significantly since its founding with a number of congregations joining the EPCEW and others being planted by existing churches. The denomination is working to establish church plants in Oxford,{{Cite web|url=https://www.oxfordpres.co.uk/|title=Oxford Evangelical Presbyterian Church|website=Oxford Evangelical Presbyterian Church|language=en-US|access-date=2018-05-23}} Lincoln,{{Cite web|url=https://sheffieldpres.org.uk/missions/lincoln|title=Lincoln | Sheffield Presbyterian Church}} Gloucester,{{Cite web|title=Gloucester Evangelical Presbyterian Church|url=https://www.facebook.com/gloucesterpres/|access-date=2020-11-28|website=www.facebook.com|language=en}} and Sunderland.{{Cite web|url=http://sunderlandpres.org.uk/|title=Sunderland Presbyterian Bible Study {{!}} nil desperandum auspice Deo|website=sunderlandpres.org.uk|language=en-US|access-date=2018-05-23}} They are actively looking to plant churches throughout England and Wales.{{cite web|url=http://epcew.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/epcew-church-planting.pdf|title=EPCEW Statement on Church Planting|website= epcew.org.uk}}
Denominational growth has been steady:
Congregations
As of 2020, the denomination has twenty-three congregations and church plants at:{{cite web |url=http://www.epcew.org.uk/congregations.html |title=EPCEW Congregations |author= |website=Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales Website |publisher=Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales |access-date=27 April 2015}}
=England=
=Wales=
=Sweden=
{{see also|Evangelical Reformed Church in Sweden}}
=Germany=
= Switzerland =
Publications
The denomination publishes The Presbyterian Network in Spring and Autumn with theological and pastoral articles and news from its congregations.{{cite web |url=http://www.epcew.org.uk/resources.html |title=Resources |date= |website=Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales}}
International organisations
Along with the Free Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), the denomination is one of the three members of the International Conference of Reformed Churches from Great Britain,{{cite web |url=http://www.icrconline.com/members.html |title=Member Churches |website=International Conference of Reformed Churches |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717064352/http://www.icrconline.com/members.html |archive-date=July 17, 2012 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 16, 2013}} and one of seven European Christian denominations who founded the European Conference of Reformed Churches.{{cite web |url=http://www.eucrc.org/index.php/members/list-of-members |title=Member Churches |website=www.eucrc.org |publisher=European Conference of Reformed Churches}} The denomination has a co-operative agreement with the Presbyterian Church in America{{cite web |url=http://epcew.org.uk/OLD/bco/bco.pdf |title=BOOK OF CHURCH ORDER |page=2 |website=epcew.org.uk |publisher=Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales}} and maintains relations with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Northern Ireland.{{cite book |last=McGoldrick |first=James E |date=March 2012 |title=Presbyterian and Reformed Churches - A Global History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cTQSEAAAQBAJ |location=Grand Rapids, Michigan |publisher=Reformation Heritage Books |page=170 |isbn=9781601783493}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commonscatinline|Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales}}
- [http://www.epcew.org.uk Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales - Official Website]
{{Christianity in the United Kingdom}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evangelical Presbyterian Church In England and Wales}}
Category:Christian organizations established in 1996
Category:Religious organisations based in England
Category:Religious organisations based in Wales
Category:Presbyterian denominations in Europe
Category:Presbyterian denominations established in the 20th century
Category:Presbyterianism in the United Kingdom
Category:Presbyterianism in England